The mammillothalamic tract (mammillothalamic fasciculus, thalamomammillary fasciculus, bundle of Vicq d’Azyr) arises from cells in both the medial and lateral nuclei of the
mammillary body and by fibers that are directly continued from the
fornix.
The mammillothalamic tract then connects the
mammillary body to the
dorsal tegmental nuclei, the
ventral tegmental nuclei, and the
anterior thalamic nuclei.
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]
Structure
The mammillothalamic tract was first described by the French physician, Félix Vicq d'Azyr, from whom it takes its alternate name (bundle of Vicq d'Azyr). There, axons divide within the gray matter; the coarser branches pass into the anterior nucleus of the thalamus as the ''bundle of Vicq d’Azyr''. The finer branches pass downward as the mammillotegmental ''bundle of Gudden''.[ The bundle of Vicq d’Azyr spreads fan-like as it terminates in the ]medial dorsal nucleus
The medial dorsal nucleus (or dorsomedial nucleus of thalamus) is a large nucleus in the thalamus.
It is believed to play a role in memory.
Structure
It relays inputs from the amygdala and olfactory cortex and projects to the prefrontal corte ...
.[ Some fibers pass through the dorsal nucleus to the angular nucleus of the thalamus. ("The term 'angular thalamic nucleus' refers to a group of cells ventral to the lateral dorsal nucleus of thalamus."][NeuroNames. Angular Thalamic Nucleus --]
"What, Where and How Big is It?"
BrainInfo. Accessed January 25, 2011.). The axons from these nuclei form part of the thalamocortical radiations.
Function
The mammillary bodies directly or indirectly connect to the amygdala
The amygdala (; plural: amygdalae or amygdalas; also '; Latin from Greek, , ', 'almond', 'tonsil') is one of two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain's cerebrum in complex ver ...
, hippocampus
The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , 'seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic syste ...
, and thalami
The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter located in the dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of the forebrain). Nerve fibers project out of the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in all directions, ...
as major structures in the limbic system
The limbic system, also known as the paleomammalian cortex, is a set of brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus, immediately beneath the medial temporal lobe of the cerebrum primarily in the forebrain.Schacter, Daniel L. 2012. ''P ...
.[ The mammillothalamic tract carries signals from the mammillary bodies via the anterior thalamus to support ]spatial memory
In cognitive psychology and neuroscience, spatial memory is a form of memory responsible for the recording and recovery of information needed to plan a course to a location and to recall the location of an object or the occurrence of an event. Sp ...
.[
]
Clinical significance
Infarction
Infarction is tissue death ( necrosis) due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area. It may be caused by artery blockages, rupture, mechanical compression, or vasoconstriction. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct
(from th ...
of the region including the mammillothalamic tract has been associated with alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome.
See also
* Hypothalamotegmental tract In human neuroanatomy, the hypothalamotegmental tract is a pathway from the hypothalamus to the reticular formation. Axons from the posterior hypothalamus descend through the mesencephalic and pontine reticular formations. They connect with reticu ...
* Papez circuit
References
External links
* - "mammillothalamic tract"
** - "mammillothalamic tract of hypothalamus"
** - "mammillothalamic tract of thalamus"
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080505050804/http://isc.temple.edu/neuroanatomy/lab/atlas/dan2/
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Limbic system
Thalamic connections